Canmore is a town in Alberta, Canada, located approximately west of Calgary near the southeast boundary of Banff National Park. It is located in the Bow Valley within Alberta's Rocky Mountains. The town shares a border with Kananaskis Country to the west and south and the Municipal District of Bighorn No. 8 to the north and east. With a population of 17,036 in 2023, Canmore is the fifth-largest town in Alberta.
History
Canmore was officially named in 1884 by Canadian Pacific Railway director Donald A. Smith (later 1st Baron Strathcona and Mount Royal). It was named after Malcolm III of Scotland who was also nicknamed Canmore. The name Canmore originates from the Gaelic ceann mòr, meaning "Big Chief".Burton, vol. 1, p. 350, states: "Malcolm the son of Duncan is known as Malcolm III., but still better perhaps by his characteristic name of Canmore, said to come from the Celtic 'Cenn Mór', meaning 'great chief'".
In 1886, Queen Victoria granted a coal mining charter to the town, and the No. 1 mine was opened in 1887.
By the 1890s, a North-West Mounted Police barrack had been instated on Main Street, however, it was vacated in 1927. The building was restored in 1989 and it is under the care of the Canmore Museum and Geoscience Centre.
The coal mining industry in Canmore boomed well into the 20th century. In 1965, with a population of 2,000, Canmore was incorporated as a town. By the 1970s, the market for coal was diminished, and in 1979 Canmore Mines Ltd. ceased operations. As a result of safety and reclamation policies instigated by the province of Alberta, all but a few mining structures were demolished in the following year; only the lamp house and a few mine entrances remain today.
Canmore's economic future seemed dismal until the announcement in the early 1980s that Calgary would be hosting the 1988 Winter Olympics, and that Canmore would play host to the Nordic events. This resulted in an increase in tourism, and Canmore began to develop into the recreational tourist destination it is today.
The Canmore Hotel was built in 1890 on the main street. In 2015, the building received a heritage designation and was being renovated to restore it. The hotel celebrated its 120th anniversary in October 2010.
Canmore is known by the Nakoda people as Chuwapchipchiyan Kude Bi. Applications requesting that this be made an official name have thus far been unsuccessful.
Geography
Concerns over Canmore's urban growth adjacent to provincial and national parkland has led to many efforts to place a limit on future development. The town was at one time expected to reach its maximum "build out" following the completion of Silvertip Resort and Three Sisters Mountain Village developments by 2020,http://www.tsmv.ca Three Sisters Mountain Village but developers have continued the push for permits to construct additional housing. In 2021 the developers of the Three Sisters Mountain Village project sued the town of Canmore for $161 million over a decision that prevented them from building the project. In May 2022, the Land and Property Rights Tribunal of Alberta overruled town officials and ordered that development for the two projects can proceed to completion.
Bisected by the Trans-Canada Highway, located on the Canadian Pacific Kansas City railway and run through by the Bow River, Canmore is ideally situated on a number of major transportation routes, which has influenced its tourism-based economy and historical mining industry.
Much of the Canmore area has been designated a wildlife corridor. This corridor allows animals such as bears, cougars, wolves, and elk to move between habitat patches, where they can find food, escape predators, breed, give birth, and establish territories.
Despite its modest population and environmentally friendly image, Canmore is highly sprawled and segmented (due to wildlife corridors, highways, the railway, and the Bow River) and takes over one and a half hours to traverse on foot. The pedestrian-friendly town centre surrounds 8th Street, or "Main Street" (as it is known colloquially), which was originally a residential road with some of the oldest architecture in the town; now, however, it is lined with small shops, restaurants, and galleries. Much of the recent development is taking place in Three Sisters Mountain Village, Silvertip Resort, and around the town centre.
A series of hiking, mountain biking, equestrian, and paved trails traverse the Canmore area. Major trail systems are located on the Benchlands of Mount Lady Macdonald, at the Canmore Nordic Centre, and along the north slope of Mount Lawrence Grassi. Many of these trails, and others around the community, are located within Bow Valley Wildland Provincial Park and Kananaskis Country. Some of these, including the Montaine Traverse Trail and the Highline Trail, have been improved by the Town of Canmore, the Government of Alberta, the Municipal District of Bighorn No. 8, and various stakeholders (Bow Valley Mountain Bike Alliance, the B.V. Riding Association, and local hiking groups) in order to balance recreational opportunities with environmental sustainability. Much of the upgrading has been accomplished by volunteers organized by the Trail Care Program of The Friends of Kananaskis Country.
Mountains located adjacent to and visible from the townsite are:
Mount Rundle () East End of Rundle Mount Lawrence Grassi (2,685 m / 8,809 ft) Ha Ling Peak () Three Sisters (2,936 m, 2,769 m, 2,694 m or 9,633 ft, 9,084 ft, 8,839 ft) Grotto Mountain (2,706 m / 8,878 ft) Mount Lady Macdonald (2,606 m / 8,550 ft)
Climate Canmore's climate is relatively mild compared to some other regions of Alberta. It does not have an Environment Canada weather observation station, but the nearby town of Banff has an average high of in January, with relatively low humidity. Summers are short with daytime temperatures ranging from .
Demographics
In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, the Town of Canmore had a population of 15,990 living in 6,804 of its 9,173 total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of 13,992. With a land area of , it had a population density of in 2021.
In the 2016 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, the Town of Canmore recorded a population of 13,992 living in 5,738 of its 7,963 total private dwellings, a change from its 2011 population of 12,288. With a land area of , it had a population density of in 2016.
The population of the Town of Canmore according to its 2014 municipal census is 13,077, a change from its 2011 municipal census population of 12,317.
Ethnicity About 1.5% of residents identified themselves as aboriginal at the time of the 2006 census.
+ Panethnic groups in the Town of Canmore (2001−2021)Panethnic group20212016201120062001 European 13,065 12,160 10,725 11,110 10,185 East Asian 665 410 415 565 300 Southeast Asian 635 480 275 70 30 Indigenous 410 250 280 180 110 South Asian 400 110 135 65 30 Latin American 185 90 75 0 0 Middle Eastern 70 10 0 0 10 African 55 45 70 35 60 Other/multiracial 60 35 15 0 20 Total responses 15,525 13,580 11,995 12,015 10,725 Total population 15,990 13,992 12,288 12,039 10,792
Language As recorded in the 2016 Census, about 81% of residents identified English as their first language. About 5% of the population identified French as their first language and 2% identified German as their first language.
Economy The Town of Canmore originally depended on the coal mines. The 1988 Winter Olympics revived the economy and set the grounds for a high-end bedroom and get-away community which would depend on construction and tourism income.
Arts and culture Canmore has one museum, the Canmore Museum and Geoscience Centre (CMAGS) located along 7th Ave & 9th St. in the Canmore Civic Centre. In 2006, the Museum entered a Fee for Service agreement with the Town of Canmore to "act as the custodian of the Town's heritage, maintaining and preserving its artifacts, archives and to build heritage and to interpret this heritage through exhibitions and interpretive programming for residents and visitors on a year-round basis".
The town has a large number of writers, and also of painters and photographers.
Many feature films and series have been shot in the Canmore area, including Brokeback Mountain, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, Open Range, The Edge, Legends of the Fall, Shanghai Noon, Mystery Alaska, Snow Dogs, the pilot episode of Everwood, The Last of Us, Last of the Dogmen, and others. The town was also popularized by the late John Morgan of the Royal Canadian Air Farce with his monosyllabic character "Mike from Canmore".
Festivals and annual events The award-winning food festival, Canmore Uncorked, is hosted every April for 13 days of special set-price menus from local restaurants, culinary events, cooking courses, and a long table dinner. The 24 Hours of Adrenalin is a mountain bike race series held at a variety of locations across North America, with annual stops in Canmore. The race consists of hundreds of solo or team riders competing to ride as many laps as possible within 24 hours, on a challenging 16 km circuit at the Canmore Nordic Centre. The Canmore Winter Carnival is a celebration of the season and a popular community tradition for more than 20 years with events including ice carving, snow sculpting, dog sled racing, the Bonhomme Carnival, and more! The Rocky Mountain Ski Challenge is an annual ski marathon hosted by the Canmore Nordic Ski Club. The Rock and Fossil Clinic is co-presented by the Canmore Museum and Geoscience Centre (CMAGS) and APEGGA.APEGGA Anyone can bring their rock or fossil find to have it evaluated by a professional geologist. The event is usually held in October. The Canmore Miners' Day Reunion takes place each year on the dates closest to the anniversary date of July 13 commemorating the closing of the Canmore coal mines in 1979. The occasion is marked with an evening reunion reception on Friday and on Saturday a parade, a free lunch for the public and a special picnic for ex-miners and their families. The Canmore Folk Music Festival is held annually on the Heritage Day long weekend in August at Centennial Park on the Stan Rogers Stage. The festival has played host to the likes of Ry Cooder, Stan Rogers, Arlo Guthrie, The Arrogant Worms, The Paperboys, The Rankin Family, Moxy Früvous, Oscar Lopez and many other notable artists. The Canmore Folk Music Festival is the longest running music festival in Alberta, and in 2007 celebrated its 30th year. The Canmore Highland Games are presented annually by the Three Sisters Scottish Society on the September long weekend. They are in their 17th year. The games host a ceilidh, heavy lifting competitions, piping and drumming, and highland dance events. Mozart on the Mountain is an outdoor concert presented annually by the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra. The annual Festival of Eagles is a celebration of the golden eagle autumn migration over Canmore and the Bow Valley. The weekend celebration, currently in its 13th year, includes guided hikes, bird walks, interpretive displays, theatrical performances and guest speakers. Spotting scopes are set up at Canmore Collegiate High School.